Kanokon ~Manatsu no Daishanikusai~ OVA – 01

Oh hey look, the first episode of the Kanokon OVA came out. I used to blog this right? Well here we go then…

That said, I wasn’t planning to blog this nor did I even know it was coming out today, but happened to have some free time on my hands. Seeing as I covered the TV series last year, I figured why not get a post out about this controversal show? I like stuff that sparks “conversation” after all.

Subtitled Manatsu no Daishanikusai 「真夏の大謝肉祭」 (“The Big Midsummer Carnival”), this two-part OVA focuses on just that. However, this first episode was pretty slow paced with all the characters doing their own thing. This includes Chizuru messing with Kouta as usual, the garbage/bug-eating Nanao ninja twins looking for food, Tayura trying to invite Akane out but not being able to, Kiriko and Yuuki doing their own thing, Mio and Omi looking like a couple, and Nozomu getting naked with no shame. There were a hell of a lot of scene transitions between everyone (which made it somewhat grueling to watch), but that pretty much sums up the episode. Chizuru’s mother Tamamo and Yukihana also show up late in the episode, with the former trying to snag Kouta away from her daughter for the fireworks tomorrow.

Surprisingly, the risqué material here is pretty tame. If you watch Kanokon for that reason, the highlight of the episode was Chizuru trying to get Kouta to eat Nagashi Soumen off her body. However, you’ll probably be disappointed by the censorship here, especially when it’s an AT-X broadcast. This is quite a shocker to say the least, given the stuff that Queen’s Blade gets away with on AT-X and the fact that this is supposed to be an OVA. Evidently, they don’t mind showing off Nozomu’s body though, which is pretty wrong given all the connotations that go along with it. Anyway, I’m going to side step that moral debate bullet and ask that you not shoot the messenger.

On another note, I’m a bit surprised that this is even considered an OVA. If anything, it’s just two extra episodes tacked onto the TV series a year later. According to the broadcast schedule, the next episode will air the very next week so they haven’t even bothered to stagger it like OVAs tend to. Also, Xebec hasn’t really done anything quality-wise to make it look and feel like an OVA. They did however give us new opening and ending themes/sequences, which are performed by Sakakibara Yui and Miyazaki Ui again (except this time they’ve swapped OP/ED roles). Albeit a bit generic, I don’t mind either of the songs; they’re much like Yui and Ui’s other stuff. However, Yui’s opening song sounds so mellow that it’s almost out of place here.

Not really. I might write a post about it and Miracle Train (*gasp*) later on though.

The short version about Seitokai no Ichizon is that the whole “making a bunch of meta-jokes and riding on the successes of other series” didn’t appeal to me. I like comedies, but I kind of want some story (no matter how sparse) backing it. The first episode felt like a stand-up comedy routine except it’s four girls and a guy in a single room going at it. Some of the references made me chuckle, but I need a little bit more substance than that.

I blogged this one for completeness sake. Don’t feel like you have to go watch something just because I’ve covered it here. There were a handful of readers that watched the TV series last year, so this post is more for them.

@ kewlmyc
Not out until 21st November.
The lack of nudity is because this aired on TV, so more likley than not, the DVD releases, much like the TV series, will feature ALOT more nudity.
No idea why they’re airing an OVA on TV though. Perhaps in the hope to increase sales?

Oh well. Even if it’s not that special, I’ll happily take more of Kanokon (even if Kouta is still such a wimp). It’s definitely a guilty pleasure for me. I’m looking forward to the DVD’s then (right blinx01?!?)

I became curious upon hearing of the infamous nagashi soumen scene and had to have a glimpse of just that scene, and oh my goodness… to hear Kawasumi Ayako making such voices, even though she isn’t known to moonlight for eroges, AFAIK… Now THAT’S what I call professionalism. lol

(Quite a lot of seiyuus, male and female, moonlight for eroges using completely unrelated aliases, but you’ll instantly recognize their voices if you’re a keen listener though. )

I’m glad I didn’t follow this series, though at least the characters certainly look cuter than those in Queen’s Blade, another blatantly hentai show that somehow passes the lax censors on AT-X.

BTW, to all those people complaining about why divine is blogging this “shit”, he already explained it in the first paragraph. Better to spark some discussion than none at all. Besides, who are we to tell him (or Omni and jaalin for that matter) what to blog and what not to anyway?

Just why is it so hard for them to show Chizuru’s nipples. Its just too stupid. TV is way to gay for a show like this but AT-X with fully unc’d stuff like queen’s blade & juuden floating about, this is tame as hell. Sure the show is crappy but calling it shit because of the scant nudity is silly. Just take a look at some of the stuff that came out with Kanokon – You’ll find your ‘shit’ there.

I love this anime. Wish Koda was not so afraid (wimpy), but it hits close to home. I also appreciate the slow and changing way of this episode. Things slow down enought to be taken in more realistically. One of the best episodes in the series.

Really not appropriate in a lot of ways, so its more realistic imo. I love it.

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